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{{Use British English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
'''Birendra Nath Mazumdar''' M.D, was an Indian medical officer in the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]] serving in France in 1940. At the time, he was the only Indian officer in the British Army, and the only Indian [[POW]] to be held in [[Oflag IV-C|Oflag IV-C, Colditz]]. After forcing a transfer to an all Indian POW camp in France, he escaped to Switzerland in 1943.<ref name= macintyre2022 /><ref name="thetimes">{{cite web |author1=Ben Macintyre |title=How the only Indian ever imprisoned in Colditz escaped the Nazis |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-the-only-indian-ever-imprisoned-in-colditz-escaped-the-nazis-bzh972tbp |website=thetimes.co.uk |access-date=28 November 2022 |date=10 September 2022}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

Mazumdar was the son of wealthy Bengali family.<ref name= macintyre2022 /> He had come to Britain from [[Gaya]] in 1931, qualified as a doctor and joined the Royal Army Medical Corp in 1939 when war broke out.<ref name= macintyre2022 /><ref name=roy2022 /> In February 1940, he was posted to 18th British General Hospital at [[Étaples]]. In May 1940, he attempted to evacuate casualties to Boulogne, but was captured by the Germans.<ref name=IWM_Mazumdar/>

In 1942, several months after arriving at Colditz, he was summoned to Berlin to meet with [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] (on 23 June 1942). There he was invited to join the [[Free India Legion]]. Although he was a supporter of India's independence, Mazumdar refused the offer because he had pledged an oath of allegiance to [[King George VI]]. Mazumdar was returned to Colditz.<ref name= macintyre2022 /> He realised that his best chance of escaping would be to get transferred to an all Indian camp in France where security would be more lax. To achieve this, he staged a hunger strike in February 1943. After two weeks, Mazumdar was too weak to leave his bed but remained resolute. After 16 days the Germans agreed to a transfer. This gesture won him the respect of his fellow British prisoners. Mazumdar left Colditz on 24th February 1943.<ref name= macintyre2022 />

Mazumdar was eventually transferred to a camp in [[Chartres]]. On 3rd June 1943, he escaped along with his friend Dariao Singh.<ref name="thetimes"/> The two walked 900 kilometres in 6 weeks to Switzerland and freedom.<ref name= macintyre2022 /> Mazumdar returned to the United Kingdom in 1946.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Indian war hero who stood up to the Nazis |url=https://m.rediff.com/news/mar/11war.htm |website=rediff.com |access-date=28 November 2022}}</ref> He resumed his medical career and worked as a GP firstly in [[Wales]] and then [[Essex]] before retiring to [[Galmpton, Torbay|Galmpton]] in [[Devon]].<ref name="macintyre2022" /> He died in December 1987 aged 82.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frost |first=Bill |date=4 February 1997 |title=Colditz secrets of Indian doctor who defied Nazis |pages=6 |work=The Times |url= |access-date= |via=The Times Digital Archive (Gale)}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=macintyre2022>{{cite book |last1=Macintyre |first1=Ben |title=Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle (BBC Radio adaptation) |date=2022 |publisher=Penguin Books Ltd |isbn=9780241408520 }}</ref>
<ref name=roy2022>{{cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Amit |title=The forgotten tale of Captain Birendranath Mazumdar |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/the-forgotten-tale-of-captain-birendranath-mazumdar/cid/1889769 |website=The Telegraph Online |access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>
<ref name=IWM_Mazumdar>{{cite web |title=Mazumdar, Birendra Nath (Oral history) |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80016245 |website=Imperial War Museum Collection |access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazumdar, Birendra Nath}}
[[Category:Indian prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Royal Army Medical Corps officers]]
[[Category:Prisoners of war held at Colditz Castle]]
[[Category:1987 deaths]]

Birendra Nath Mazumdar - Revision history

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